Reinforced electrical terminal

Abstract

An electrical contact a mating portion for mating with a mating contact. The mating portion has a contact portion and a retention portion. The mating portion has a mating portion bottom wall, a mating portion top wall and mating portion side walls. A respective mating portion side wall has an upper portion which extends beyond the top wall. The retention portion has a retention portion top wall, a retention portion side wall and a retention portion back wall. The retention portion back wall is configured to approximate the space provided between the mating portion top wall, the upper portion of the respective mating portion side wall, the retention portion top wall and a retention portion side wall. The retention portion back wall prevents damage or deformation of the retention portion as a force applied to the retention portion.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention is directed to an electrical terminal with improved strength. In particular, the invention is directed to a terminal with improved strength to avoid damage when undergoing qualification or assembly into the connector housing.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The need for electrical connectors which are compact in size continues to increase. As the connectors are made smaller, the electrical terminals positioned in the connectors must also be made smaller. The miniaturization of the terminals requires that less material be used in the manufacturer of the terminals, thereby making the terminals vulnerable to damage or deformation when in use or when undergoing testing, qualification or assembly into the connector housing.

[0003] It would, therefore, be beneficial to provide a terminal with improved strength to prevent damage or deformation. It would also be beneficial to provide such a reinforced terminal without increasing the overall si...

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0017]The description of illustrative embodiments according to principles of the present invention is intended to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire written description. In the description of embodiments of the invention disclosed herein, any reference to direction or orientation is merely intended for convenience of description and is not intended in any way to limit the scope of the present invention. Relative terms such as “lower,”“upper,”“horizontal,”“vertical,”“above,”“below,”“up,”“down,”“top” and “bottom” as well as derivative thereof (e.g., “horizontally,”“downwardly,”“upwardly,” etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawing under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description only and do not require that the apparatus be constructed or operated in a particular orientation unless explicitly indicated as such. Terms such as “attached,”“affi...

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention is directed to an electrical terminal with improved strength. In particular, the invention is directed to a terminal with improved strength to avoid damage when undergoing qualification or assembly into the connector housing.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The need for electrical connectors which are compact in size continues to increase. As the connectors are made smaller, the electrical terminals positioned in the connectors must also be made smaller. The miniaturization of the terminals requires that less material be used in the manufacturer of the terminals, thereby making the terminals vulnerable to damage or deformation when in use or when undergoing testing, qualification or assembly into the connector housing.

[0003] It would, therefore, be beneficial to provide a terminal with improved strength to prevent damage or deformation. It would also be beneficial to provide such a reinforced terminal without increasing the overall si...

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0017]The description of illustrative embodiments according to principles of the present invention is intended to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire written description. In the description of embodiments of the invention disclosed herein, any reference to direction or orientation is merely intended for convenience of description and is not intended in any way to limit the scope of the present invention. Relative terms such as “lower,”“upper,”“horizontal,”“vertical,”“above,”“below,”“up,”“down,”“top” and “bottom” as well as derivative thereof (e.g., “horizontally,”“downwardly,”“upwardly,” etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawing under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description only and do not require that the apparatus be constructed or operated in a particular orientation unless explicitly indicated as such. Terms such as “attached,”“affi...

Images